"Henson has a thrilling, lilting voice and is clearly heading for a glittering career … she out-sang everyone else on stage" Opera Canada, Paula Citron
Soprano Joni Henson is one of Canada’s most thrilling young performers. Recent successes include Senta in DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER for Pacific Opera Victoria, Elisabetta in DON CARLOS, the Foreign Princess in RUSALKA, Fiordiligi in Mozart’s COSI FAN TUTTE, and Gutrune in Wagner’s GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG, all for the Canadian Opera Company. In the second half of the season she looks forward to Leonora in IL TROVATORE for Opera Hamilton and Leonora in Verdi’s OBERTO for Opera in Concert.
Ms. Henson’s 2010-2011 season included the final scene from Strauss’ CAPRICCIO with James Somerville and the Hamilton Philharmonic, an opera gala with Manitoba Opera, Verdi’s REQUIEM with the Vancouver symphony, Mahler’s Symphony No.2 with the Calgary Philharmonic and on the opera stage, she starred as Santuzza in CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA for Opera Hamilton.
Highlights of her 2009-2010 season included Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Vancouver Symphony (Tovey), Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the National Arts Centre Orchestra and Orchestre Metropolitain du Grand Montreal (Yannick Nezet-Seguin) in Ottawa and Montreal, and a gala opera evening for the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. She also covered Desdemona in OTELLO for the COC.
During the 2008-2009 season, she was with the Vancouver Symphony for Britten’s WAR REQUIEM (Tovey), Toronto’s Mendelssohn Choir (Noel Edison) for ELIJAH, and the Hamilton Philharmonic for Berlioz and Mendelssohn. She appeared in special concerts with the Kingston and Sault Ste. Marie symphonies, and presented a debut recital for Music Toronto at Toronto’s St. Lawrence Centre. Further credits include Desdemona in OTELLO with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Santuzza in CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA with the Windsor Symphony, Marie in DIE TOTE STADT for Opera in Concert and concerts with the Aldeburgh Connection of Toronto and the Elora Festival of Ontario.
Ms. Henson earned her Bachelor in Vocal Performance degree from the University of Toronto. She also received her Artist Diploma from the University of Toronto’s Opera Division. Other roles include Nedda in Leoncavallo’s PAGLIACCI, Mrs. Ford in Nicolai’s MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR and Female Chorus in Britten’s THE RAPE OF LUCRETIA.
Awards have included the Opera Grand Prize at the XVth Concours International de Chant de Verviers Competition in Belgium, First Place Opera and French Melodie Awards at the Concours International de Chant de Marmande (France) and she was semi-finalist in the Metropolitan National Council Auditions.
Ms. Henson attended the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, where she studied with Marilyn Horne. In excerpts, she was seen there as Vitellia in Mozart’s LA CLEMENZA DI TITO, Donna Anna in DON GIOVANNI and received Encouragement Awards in the Marilyn Horne Foundation Vocal Competition. As a former member of the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio, she was heard as Alisa in LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR and other ensemble roles with the company included Lady Billows in ALBERT HERRING, Inez in IL TROVATORE, and First Lady in THE MAGIC FLUTE.
Aldeburgh Connection, Toronto Calgary Philharmonic Canadian Opera Company Chautauqua Symphony Centre Wallonie Bruxelles, Paris Detroit Symphony Elora Festival Hamilton Philharmonic Kingston Symphony London Symphony Luminato Festival, Toronto Music Toronto National Arts Centre Le Pin Galant, Bordeaux, France Opera Hamilton Opera in Concert, Toronto Orchestre Metropolitain du Grand Montréal Pacific Opera Victoria
Regina Symphony Sault Symphony Toronto Mendelssohn Choir Vancouver Opera Vancouver Symphony Windsor Symphony
“Henson displayed superb control and a fully refined tone that made for a dramatic and very poised delivery. No lack of power here, as she took the aria from subtle to intense, building gradually to a vivid conclusion. Later in the evening, Henson transformed herself into Rusalka from Dvořák’s opera of the same name in the beautiful “Song to the Moon.” She was spot on with the requisite delicacy, balanced with just the right dose of authority. Best of all – she sang with a true sense of joy.” Opera Today – Gwenda Nemerofsky
“Joni Henson was also in top form as the Foreign Princess…” (COC, Rusalka) Opera Canada – William Littler
“Soprano Joni Henson proved once again that she has one of the most thrilling voices among young Canadian singers. The bright sound combined with her soaring, arching phrases and tonal heft is absolutely compelling.” (Toronto Mendelssohn Choir – Elijah) Classical 96.3 FM – Paula Citron
“Soprano Joni Henson sang Dich, teure Halle from Tannhauser with a more focused presentation than she could manage even a few months ago. It’s not hard to imagine this singer performing major Wagner roles in important opera houses within the next few years.” The Globe & Mail, Robert Everett-Green
“Henson has a thrilling, lilting voice and is clearly heading for a glittering career...she out sang everyone else on stage.”
Opera Canada, Paula Citron
“Joni Henson (Marie/Marietta) and Anthony Flynn (Paul) both acquitted themselves exceptionally well, etching the troubled characters with panache...Henson has a huge voice…and as in her recent work for the Canadian Opera Company, she looks set for success in the heavier dramatic roles in the German repertoire.”
